FIFA World Cup 2026: What You Need to Know
Photo Credit: BC Place Stadium
Canada, the United States, and Mexico will all share a part in hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
On June 16, 2022, Vancouver was selected as one of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup. Since then, the city has undergone multiple renovations for the upcoming tournament.
All World Cup games in Vancouver will be hosted at BC Place, the home of the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions, with an approximate capacity of around 55,000 people.
Minor upgrades to the stadium for the World Cup will include changes to accessibility, fan experience, better entrance points, more washrooms, and gender-neutral washrooms, according to Chris May, the general manager of BC Place. The BC Pavilion Corporation estimates that operating costs and upgrade costs for the tournament will be between $171 and $181 million, as per the CBC News.
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has also planned new facilities to be opened for the World Cup. This includes the new Killarney training facility, an estimated $16.25 million capital investment. The facility will feature a new natural-grass playing surface.
For fans to enjoy a free live experience, Vancouver also plans to host an official fan-viewing zone at Hastings Park on the PNE grounds. This fan zone will feature music, food, and drinks.
Seven of the 104 World Cup games will be held in Vancouver. Five will be held on the group stage, where teams compete in small groups. The other two games are a round-of-32 game and a round-of-16 game, which are the knockout games before the quarter-finals, held from June 13 to July 7. The Canadian team will play two group stage games at BC Place, one on June 18 and the other on June 24.
The other teams that will play in Vancouver have not yet been identified, but fans can expect some prestigious teams to participate in the round of 32 and the round of 16. The teams that go far in the tournament will have to go through these stages, so the chance of Vancouver hosting a massive soccer nation like England or France is quite possible.
However, tickets will be extremely hard to obtain as the only guaranteed tickets, called hospitality tickets, are priced at $2,500 each. The other tickets will fall under a pre-sale draw system that has already closed.
Watching a game at BC Place is not the only way to see beloved players, such as Alphonso Davies or Harry Kane. There are two official training sites in Vancouver to look out for teams, including the Killarney Park site and the National Soccer Development Centre, located in UBC, where the Whitecaps currently train. These sites may offer an opportunity to watch your favourite teams in action for free.
Another way to catch these players is to volunteer at the World Cup. While it is very competitive to gain a spot as a ball boy/girl or ball carrier at one of the venues, it is a rewarding and completely free experience. To gain a spot as a volunteer, go to the Vancouver FIFA website and search for “volunteer” to apply for a position. Some positions, specifically those as greeters or translators, require applicants to be at least 18 years old.